Uttar Pradesh Government Seizes Slain Gangster Atiq Ahmed’s Rs 50 Crore Asset Bought with Proceeds of Crime

The Uttar Pradesh government has seized property valued at approximately Rs 50 crore in Prayagraj, formerly owned by slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed.

The property was allegedly purchased with proceeds from criminal activities as per a report by Hindustan Times.

According to District Government Advocate (Criminal) Gulab Chandra Agrahari, Atiq acquired 2.377 hectares of land using illicit funds, registering it under a mason named Hoobalal.

Atiq claimed he could transfer the land to his name if necessary. The police confiscated this land in November 2023.

Agrahari stated that the Police Commissioner Court seized the property under Section 14(1) of the Gangsters Act, allowing three months for a response. However, no proof of ownership was provided.

Subsequently, the Police Commissioner Court referred the case to the Gangster Court in Prayagraj.

On Tuesday (16 July), Judge Vinod Kumar Chaurasia affirmed that the police commissioner's action was "fair and just," officially transferring the property to the state government.

DCP (City) Deepak Bhuker stated, "For the first time, the gangster court (Prayagraj) has ordered the transfer of the benami property of slain gangster Atiq Ahmed in Kathula Gauspur village to the state government on July 15. The Prayagraj police had seized Atiq’s benami property, worth crores of rupees, in Kathula Gauspur village in Sadar tehsil under the Gangsters Act on 6 November 2023."

During their investigation of a case against Atiq under the Gangsters Act, police discovered that he owned the property under Hooblal's name in the Airport police station area.

Upon questioning, Hooblal disclosed that he had no connection to the property and that Atiq had coerced him into registering the land in his name in 2015.

Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, who were implicated in over 100 criminal cases, including the Umesh Pal murder case, were shot dead on 15 April of the previous year.